Tanya Mosley

Those words reached Palestinian peacemaker Aziz Abu Sarra.

Years before, when Aziz was only nine, his own brother had been arrested and tortured in an Israeli military prison for allegedly throwing stones at soldiers.

He later died from his injuries, and Aziz says he recognized Mahouz's grief and decided to write him.

What grew between them has become a brotherhood, a TED Talk seen by millions, and eventually a journey.

Ten months into the war, the two of them got in a van together and drove for eight days across Israel and Palestine through checkpoints, holy cities, refugee camps, and separation walls.

They wrote everything down in a book called The Future is Peace, A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land.

Mahouz Inan and Aziz Abu Sarra.

Welcome to Fresh Air.

I first want to offer my condolences, Mahouz, on the death of your parents and Aziz, the loss of your brother.

Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us and sharing your pain.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, let's spend a moment on what led you to each other.

The overwhelming response on October 7th has been rage and retaliation.

Israeli cabinet members called for the total destruction of Gaza.

And so, Meos, the world would have accepted your rage.

You'd lost your parents, and instead you called for peace.

Why did you decide to send that as your first message out to the world?

That was a tremendous decision to make, understanding all of the considerations that you just laid out here.

And I want to ask you, Aziz, something, because, you know, most of us see or read about terrible things happening every day.